Dry room



June 10, 1930. 1 BS NDO 1,763,541

V DRY ROOM Filed May 31, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR J. B. sANDo 1,763,541

, DRY ROOM June 10, 1930.

7 Filed May 51, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 4: ll l 4 mm "M W V INVENTOR 5 Sheets-Sheet Y J. B. SANDO DRY ROOM Filed May 31, 1927 1NVNTOR A TTORN 1 5 June 10, 1930.

J. B. SANDO June 10, 1930.

DRY ROOM Filed May 51, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORY HIM Patented June 10, 1930 UNITED stares rarest orrics JOSEPH B. SANDO, F NOR-WOOD, OHIO, ASSIGNOB TO THE AIMERICAN LAUNDRY MA- GHINERY COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO DRY RQOM Application filed May 31, 1927.

This invention relates to dry rooms such as are used for drying cleaned or laundered articles such as curtains, blankets or the like, and more particularly to that class of devices of this kind in which the work is'stretched upon a frame moved into and out of the dry room. These stretching frames are usually mounted so that a plurality, say three'or more, lie parallel in neighboring relation and are moved into and out of the same dry room, but the circulation or travel of air through the room and about the work has never been directed efficiently or in a manner to insure application of drying air to the entire area of the Work or with velocity or volume sufficient for rapid operation. Moreover, during motion of the frame into or out of the dry room the drying effect suffers interference from atmospheric air permitted to enter or leave the room where the particular frame is being moved in or out, and no provision has been made for continuing efficient operation while the frame or the work-supporting portion thereof is entirely outside of the room.

The object of the present invention is to provide a dry room of the class described in which the air circulation is controlled eiiiciently and in a manner to avoid blasts of cold air over the work such as might unduly shrink the same; and further, to provide an arrangement in which the air is circulated along proper and predetermined paths when the frames are inside of the dry room so as to come in contact with the entire area of all of the work; in which such efiicient operation continues when the work-supporting port-ion of one of the frames is entirely outside of the dry room for loading or unloading the same and with no liability of blasts ofcold airor loss of heated air as above referred to; and furthermore in which the air circulation is properly controlled during motion of any one or more of the frames into or out of the dry room.

A further object of the invention is to provide an arrangement of this kind in which the necessary valves, dampers or controlling devices for regulating the air Current are controlled or actuated by motion of stretching frame into or out of the drying room and,

Serial No. 195,475.

when a plurality of the frames are used with a single dry room, are controlled by any one of said frames.

Further objects of the invention are in part obvious and in part will appear more in detail hereinafter.

In the drawings, which represent one suit able embodiment of the invention, Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the frontend of a dry room with one of the frames withdrawn therefrom; Fig. 2 is a similar View of the rear end of the dry room, parts being broken away to show interior construction; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the dry room on approximately the line 33, of Fig. l; Fig. l is a plan view of the dry room, with parts broken away to show interior construction; Fig. 5 is a detail sectional elevation through the upper part of the dry room to show operating mechanism for the main damper, the section being taken on approximately the line 5 5, Fig. 4: and being on a larger scale; Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of one of the stretching frames, showing its damper in the position assumed when the frame is entirely within the dry room; and Fig. 7 is a detail sectional elevation through the rear end portion of one of the frames on approximately the line 7 7, Fig. 6.

According to the present invention dry rooms of this type are made up in sections, each section including the necessary enclosing walls forming a room to receive a plurality, say three, of stretching frames, and being provided with the necessary supporting and operating means for a fan or blower and the conduits for conducting air to and through the room. All parts are arranged so that additional units can be added from time to time as additional capacity is desired by placing additional units side by side and thereby increasing the number of frames, with the possibility of using common operating or control means for a plurality of units, as will more fully appear. The stretching frame upon which the work is stretched for the drying operation forms a part of the present invention only in combination with other elements, as will appear.

Referring to the drawings, the dry room shown comprises a suitable frame formed of structural re-enforcing shapes for sheet metal walls forming a casing 1 having side walls. a back and a top, said casing being closed at the front by portions of the stretching frames, as will appear. Air is introduced to the top of the room from the outlet of a fan or blower 2 mounted on a transverse shaft 3 and driven by a belt 4rfrom an electric motor 5. WVhen two units are placed side by side, as in Fig. 2, the two fans therefor may be mounted upon the same shaft 3 and driven by the same motor. Air is supplied to the fan or fans from the inlet 6 through the heating chamber 7 in which are steam heatmg coils 8, and the fan outlet is provided with a forwardly extending hood 9, provided with a vane or deflector 10' todivide the air current and deliver Part of it to the back and part to the front of the. dry room, both streams of air flowing downwardly by a circuitous path toward the outlet 11 near the bottom at the back. One large outlet may serve for a plurality of units, as illustrated in Fig. 2. V

In the dry room are mounted a plurality of stretching frames in neighboring parallel relation, three frames to a unit in the form shown. These frames are two sided to receive either two articles, such as curtains or blankets of a pair, or an extra long article such as a double blanket, with its parts applied to opposite faces of the same frame by folding its middle portion around a. return bar at the bottom of the frame. Referring briefly to the stretching frames, which are all alike, each frame comprises the necessary structural shapes to form a rigid four sided framein which are mounted a pair of rear vertical holding members 12, a pair of front holding members 13 fastened together and adjustable horizontally as a unit toward and from the rear members 12, a pair of upper horizontal holding members 14 fastened to-.

opposite faces and also serving as a return.

bar around which a double length blanket may be folded. This return bar is adjustable vertically. It lies above a floor or bottom 17 of the frame at the sides of which are drop doors 18 which form atrough along the bottom of the frame.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 6, it will be observed that each frame has a front wall 19 and a rear wall 20, both formed of sheet metal and channeled for strength and to form guides for the vertically adjustable holding bars, as will be readily understood. When the stretching frames are within the dry room, as is the case of five of the frames shown in Fig. 1, their front walls 19 all lie in the same plane and form a complete closure for the front of the room. Their rear wardly to the outlet 11. These openings cooperate with a valve or closure in the form of a metal plate 23 slidable vertically in guides 24 on the back wall of the stretcher frame and connected at its upper end to an operating chain 25 provided with a weight 26 and passing over a pulley 27 and thence forwardly to a point 28 on the stationary dry room frame between its front and rear Walls. When the stretching frame is entirely within the dry room, as shown at the left 'in Fig. 1, the parts occupy the position shown in Fig. 7 with the valve 23 held in its upper position exposing the openings 21 and permitting free flow of the air current along the troughs formed by the bottom of the blanket and by the doors 18 and bottom of the stretcher frame to and through said openings to the outlet, As the stretching frame is withdrawn from the dry room the roller 27 moves forwardly and weight 26 and the valve 23 descend to a bottom position in which the lower edge of the valve engages a stop, such as the flange 29, in which position the valve closes the openings 21. During additional forward movement of the stretcher frame the weight 26 continues to descend until the roller 27 passes the point 28, whereupon the chain 25 will loop back around a metal bridge 30 lying behind the pulley 27, as shown in dotted lines at the left Fig. 7 and the weight will rise and prevent the chain from tangling or going to the bottom of the dry room, but it will be understood that the point 28 is so located on the stationary frame that when the stretcher frame is entirely withdrawn the weight 26 has not risen sufliciently to raise the valve 23 from its lowermost position closing openings 21. Therefore, each fully withdrawn stretcher frame plays its part in completing a closure for the front of the dry room by supplying its rear and now fully closed plate 20 for that purpose. When the stretcher frame is pushed back into the dry room the weight 26 descends until the point 28 is passed, protecting the chain as before, and upon continued rearward motion the valve 23 is elevated to the full open position shown in Fig. 6.

Flow of air from the fan through the hood 9 to the dry room is controlled by a damper 31 shown in Fig. 5 and movable from the full line open position to the dotted closed position, in which the air supply is shut off to prevent blowing it into the surrounding room. Remembering that each unit of the dry room includes three stretcher frames and that a single fan supplies air through a single damper 31 for such three frames, it will be observed that in the specific form illustrated actuation of any one of the three frames controls the damper. As illustrated, damper 31 is mounted to turn with a shaft 32 provided with a lever arm 33 carrying a weight 34, said arm being connected by a long link 35 and extending toward the front of the machine and at its forward end provided with a pin 36 working in the slot 37 of an arm 38 fast on shaft On said shaft are fastened a series of short arms l each provided with an elongated slottl open at one side as at a2, and in which slot Works a pin 48 on the side of an arm it of a pivoted lever 45 having a second arm l6 passing through. a slot 47 in the ceiling of the dry room and within the same provided with a pin 48 cooperating with inclined cam slots l9 formed by suitable metal fittings at opposite ends of the stretcher frame and also cooperating with the horizontal flange of an angle iron 50 attached to the stretcher frame. It will be understood that each stretcher frame is provided with the cam slots 49 and angle 50 and with levers 4-5 and i0. As a result, withdrawal of any stretcher frame-from the dry room actuates the damper.

Fig. shows the normal position of the parts with the stretcher frame within the dry room. The pin 48 lies at the upper portion of the forward cam slot 49. VJ hen the stretcher frame is pulled out or to the right the cam slot 49 moves the pin 48 downwardly, turning lever 4d in the clockwise direction, the pin l3 thereof moving to the right and turning lever arm 38 in the counterclockwise di rection, thereby movingv the damper 31 to the dotted line position and cutting off the air supply from the fan to this unit of the dry room. The slots 42 in the levers for the other two frames permit said levers to move without effect upon the mechanism. As the stretcher frame moves forwardly, flange of angle member holds the pin a8 down and maintains the damper closed, and as it reaches its fully withdrawn position the cam slot 4-9 at the rear of the stretcher frame restores the parts to their original positions and permits the damper 31 to be opened by the effect of its weight 34. The operations are the re verse when the stretcher frame is pushed back into the dry room.

With this arrangement circulation or supply of air from the fan is permitted only when the stretcher frames are entirely within or entirely withdrawn from the dry room and is prevented while any one stretcher frame is being moved in or out.

Taking the mechanism as a whole, when all stretcher frames within the dry room a full supply of heated air is delivered to the top of the dry room, part to the rear and part to the front thereof. the air current flowing down between the blankets and into the troughs formed by each double length blanket and also by the troughs formed by the doors and bottom of the stretcher frames, and then backwardly and through the several openings 21 and to the outlet at the rear. When any one frame is moved outwardly from the dry room the first effect is to shut off the air supply from the fan. N ext, the valve 23 for the openings 21 at the rear of such stretcher frame descends to close said openings, and finally, when the stretcher frame reaches fully withdrawn position the fan damper 31 is again opened and the rear wall of the stretcher frame completes the closure for the dry room, so that the air circulation continues as before, permitting the work to be changed on the withdrawn stretcher frame. Again, while pushing the frame back into the dry room the fan damper 31 first turned to closed position; next the valve 2;} is raised to expose the openings 21 and when the stretcher frame reaches its final position in ti'ie dry room both the damper 31 and valve 23 areopen and the closure at the front of the dry room is completed by the front wall of the stretcher frame.

What I claim is:

l. Drying apparatus, comprising a drying chamber having an opening, a frame having a work supporting portion movable through said opening into and out of said chamber, and means for automatically closing said chamber opening when the work supporting portion of said frame is moved through said opening to a position outside of said chamber, said means being provided with through openings for the passage of air when said work supporting frame portion lies within said chamber.

2. Drying apparatus, comprising a dryingchamber having an opening, a frame having a work supporting portion movable through said opening into and out of said chamber, and means carried by said frame for closing said chamber opening when said work sup porting portion is moved through said opening to a position outside of said chamber, said means being provided with through openings for the passage of air when said work supporting frame portion lies within said chamber.

3. Drying apparatus. com niising a drying chamber having an opening, a fran'ie having a work supporting portion movable through said opening into and out of said chamber. said chamber being provided with air supply and discln rge apertures, andmeans for closing said chamber opening when the work supporting portion of said frame is moved through said opening to a position outside of said chamber, said closing means serving as a baffle for one of said air apertures when the work supporting portion of said frame lies within said chamber.

4. Drying apparatus, comprising a drying chamber having an opening, a frame having a work supporting portion movable through said opening into and out of said chamber,

said chamber being provided with air supply and discharge apertures, and means carried by said frame for closing said chamber opening when the work supporting portion of said frame is moved through said opening to a position outside of said chamber, said closing means serving as a baffle for one of said air apertures when the work supporting portion of said frame lies within said chamber.

5. Drying apparatus, comprising a drying chamber having an opening, a frame having a work supporting portion movable through said opening into and out of said chamber, said chamber being provided with an air inlet and an air outlet, and means for closing said chamber opening when the work sup porting portion of said frame is moved out of said chamber, said closing means lying, when the work supporting portion of said frame is within said chamber, between said air inlet and said air outlet and being provided with a port through which air may pass from said inlet to said outlet.

6. Drying apparatus, comprising a drying chamber having an opening, a framehaving a work supporting portion movable through said opening into and out of said chamber,

means for closing said chamber opening when the Work supporting portion of said frame is moved out of said chamber, said closing means lying within said chamber when the work supporting portion of said frame is within said chamber, and being provided with a port through which air may pass, and means for closing the port of. said closing means.

7@ Drying apparatus, comprising a drying chamber having an opening, a frame having a work supporting portion movable through said opening into and out of said chamber, means for closing said chamber opening when the work supporting portion of said frame is moved out of said chamber, said closing means lying within said chamber when the work supporting portion of said frame is within said chamber, and being provided with a port through which air may pass, and means for automatically closing the port of said closing means when the latter is positioned adjacent said chamber opening.

8. Drying apparatus, comprising a drying chamber having an opening, a frame having a work supporting portion movable through said opening into and out of said chamber, means for closing said chamber opening when the work supporting portion of said frame is moved out of said chamber, said closing means lying within said chamber when the work supporting portion of said frame is within said chamber, and being pro vided with a port through which air may pass, a closure for closing the port of said closing means, and means controlled by movement of the work supporting portion of said frame for operating said closure so as to automatically effect the closing of said port when said closing means is positioned adjacent the opening of said chamber.

9. Drying apparatus, comprising a drying chamber having an opening, a frame having a work supporting portion movable through said opening into and out of said chamber, means for closing said chamber opening when the work supporting portion of said frame is moved out of said chamber, said closing means lying within said chamber when the work supporting portion of said frame is within said chamber, and being provided with a port through which air may pass, a closure for closing the port of said closing means, a flexible cable having one end con nected to said closure and its other end connected to a stationary element, and a roller movable with the work supporting portion of said frame and cooperating with said cable in effecting movement of said closure to close said port.

10. Drying apparatus, comprising a drying chamber having an air opening, a frame having a work supporting portion movable into and out of said chamber, air moving means, a damper for controlling communication between said air moving means and said chamber air opening, operating means for said damper, means movable with the work supporting portion of said frame for actuating said damper operating means during in itial movement of the Work supporting portion of said frame out of said drying chamber, and additional means movable with the work supporting portion of said frame for actuating said damper operating means during final movement of the work supporting portion of the frame out of said drying chamber.

11. Drying apparatus, comprising a drying chamber having an air opening, a frame having a work supporting portion movable into and out of said chamber, air moving means, a

damper for controlling communication be tween said air moving means and said chamber air opening, operating means for said damper, means movable with the work supporting portion of said frame for actuating said damper operating means during initial movement of the work supporting portion of said frame into said drying chamber, and additional means movable with the work supporting portion of said frame for actuating said damper operating means during final movement of the work supporting portion of the frame into said drying chamber.

12. Drying apparatus, comprising a drying chamber having an air opening, a frame ha"- ing a work supporting portion movable into and out of said chamber, air moving means, a damner for controlling communication between said air moving means and said chamber air opening, operating means for said damper, cam means movable with the work supporting portion of said frame for actuating said damper operating means during initial movement of the work supporting portion of said frame out of said drying chamber, and additional cam means movable with the work supporting portion of said frame for actuating said damper operating means during final movement movement of the work supporting portion of the frame out of said drying chamber.

13. Drying apparatus, comprising a drying chamber having an air opening, a frame having a work supporting portion movable into and out of said chamber, air moving means, a damper for controlling communication between said air moving means and said chamber air opening, operating means for said damper, means movable with the work supporting portion of said frame for actuating said damper operating means to cut off communication during initial movement of the work supporting portion of said frame out of said drying chamber, and additional means movable with the work supporting portion of said frame for actuating said damper operating means to establish communication during final movement of the work supporting portion of the frame out of said drying chamber.

14;. Drying apparatus, comprising a drying chamber having an air opening, a frame having a work supporting portion movable into and out of said chamber, air moving means, a damper for controlling communication between said air moving means and said chamber air opening, operating means for said damper, means movable with the work supporting portion of said frame for actuating said damper operating means to cut off communication during initial movement of the work supporting portion of said frame into said drying chamber, and add1t1onal means movable with the work supporting portion of said frame for actuating said damper operating means to establish communication during final movement of the work supporting portion of the frame into said drying chamber.

15. Drying apparatus, comprising a drying chamber having an air opening, a frame having a work supporting portion movable into and out of said chamber, air moving means, a damper for controlling communication between said air moving means and said chamber air opening, operating means for said damper, means for automatically actuating said damper operating means during initial movement of the work supporting portion of said frame out of said drying chamber, and additional means for automatically actuating said damper operating means during final movement of the work supporting portion of the frame out of said chamber.

16. Drying apparatus, comprising a drying chamber having an air opening, a plurality of frames each. having a work support;

ing portion movable into and out of said chamber, a damper for controlling the flow of air through said chamber air opening, and operating means for said damper actuated by movement of the work supporting portion of any one of said frames.

l7. Drying apparatus, comprising a dry ing chamber having an air opening, a plurality of frames each having a work supporting portion movable into and. out of said chamber, a damper for controlling the flow of air through said chamber air opening, and closing means for said damper each of said frames being provided with cam means for actuating said damper closing means during movement of its work supporting portion.

18. Drying apparatus, comprising a drying chamber having an air opening, a plurality of frames each having a work supporting portion movable into either of two positions one inside and the other outside of said chamber, a damper for controlling the flow of air through said chamber air opening, and closing means for said damper actuated by movement of the work supporting portion of any one of said frames to either of said positions. 19. Drying apparatus, comprising a drying chamber having an opening, a frame having a work supporting portion movable into and out of said chamber, means for closing said chamber opening when the work sup porting portion of said frame is moved out of said chamber, said closing means being provided with a port for the passage of air, and means for closing the port of said closing means. 20. Drying apparatus, comprising a drying chamber havmg an opening, a frame having a work supporting portion movable into and out of said chamber, closing means movable to closing position with respect to said chamber opening when the work supporting portion of said frame is moved out of said chamber and having a port for the passage of air, and a closure for automatically closing said port when said closingmeans is moved to such closing position.

21. Drying apparatus, comprising a drying chamber having an opening, a frame having a work supporting portion movable into and out of said chamber, closing means movable to closing position with respect to said chamber opening when the Work supporting portion of said frame is moved out of said chamber and having a port for the passage of air, and a closure for automatically closing said port when said closing means is moved to such closing position, the movement of said closure being controlled by movement of the work supporting portion of said frame.

22. Drying apparatus, comprising a drying chamber having an opening, a frame having a work supporting portion movable into and out of said chamber, means movable to a position adjacent said chamber Opening when the work supporting portion of said frame is moved out of said chamber and having a port for the passage of air, and a closure for covering or exposing said port and actuated by movement of the work supporting portion of said frame.

23. Drying apparatus, comprising a drying chamber having an opening, a frame hav ing a work supporting portion movable into and out of said chamber, closing means movable to closing position with respectto said chamber opening when the work supporting portion of said frame is moved out of said chamber and having a port for the passage of air, a closure for covering or exposing said port, and means for operating said closure to cover said port upon movement of the work supporting portion of said frame out ofsaid chamber. I

24. Drying apparatus, comprising a drying chamber having an opening, a frame having a work supporting portion movable into and out of said chamber, closing means movable to closing position with respect to said chamber opening when the work supporting portion of said frame is moved out of said chamber and having a port for the passage of air, a closure for covering or exposing said port, and means for operating said closure to expose said port upon movement of the work supporting portion'of said frame into said chamber.

25. Drying apparatus, comprising a drying chamber having an opening, a frame having a work supporting portion movable into and out of said chamber, closing means movable to closing position with respect to said chamber opening when the work supporting portion of said frame is moved out of said chamber and having a port for the passage of air, a closure for covering or exposing said port, and means for operating said closure to cover said port upon movement of the work supporting portion of said frame out of said chamber, said operating means being actuated by movement of said work supporting frame portion.

26. Drying apparatus, comprising a drying chamber having an opening, a frame having a work supporting portion movable into and out of said chamber, closing means movable to closing position with respect to said chamber opening when the work supporting portion of said frame is moved out of said chamber and having a port for the passage of air, a closure for covering or exposing said port, and means for operating said closure to expose said port upon movement of the work supporting portion of said frame intosaid chamber, said operating means being actuated by movement of said work supporting frame portion. I

27. Drying apparatus, comprising a drying chamber having an air opening, a frame provided with a work supporting portion having advancing and receding movements, a damper for controlling the flow of air through said opening, damper operating means, means for actuating said damper operating means during the initial part of one of said movements of said work supporting frame portion, and additional means for automatically actuating said damper operating means during the final part of said one movement of said work supporting frame portion.

28. Drying apparatus, comprising a drying chamber having an air opening, a frame provided with a work supporting portion having advancing and receding movements, a damper for controlling flow of air through said opening, damper operating means, means for automatically actuating said damper operating means during the initial part of one of said movements of said work supporting frame portion to effect closing of said damper, and additional means for automatically actuating said damper operating means during the final part of said one movementof said work supporting frame portion to effect opening of said damper.

29. Drying apparatus, comprising a drying chamber having an air opening, a frame provided with a work supporting portion having advancing and receding movements, a damper for controlling the flow of air through said air opening, damper operating means, means for automatically actuating said damper operating means during a part of one of said movements of said work supporting frame portion to effect movement of said damper in one direction, and additional means for automatically actuating said damper operating means during a part of the other movement of said work supporting frame portion to effect movement of said damper in the reverse direction.

30. Drying apparatus, comprising a drying chamber having an air opening, a frame provided; with a work supporting portion having advancing and receding movements, a damper for controlling flow of air through said opening, damper operating means, means for actuating said damper operating means during the initial part of one of said movements of said Work supporting frame portion,and additional means for actuating said damper operating means during the final part of said one movement of said work supporting frame portion, one of said actuating means being movable with said work supporting frame portion.

31. Drying apparatus, comprising a drying chamber havingan airopening, a frame provided with a work supporting portion having advancing and receding movements, a damper for controlling flow ofair through said opening, damper operating means, means for actuating said damper operating means during the initial part of one of said movements of said work supporting frame portion, and additional means for actuating said damper operating means during the final part of said one movement of said Work supporting frame portion, one of said actuating means comprism g a cam.

32. Drying apparatus, comprising a drying chamber having an air opening, a frame provided With a Work supporting portion having advancing and receding movements, a damper for controlling flow of air through said openings, damper operating means, means for actuating said damper operating means during the initial part of one of said movements of said Work supporting frame portion, and additional means for actuating said damper opera ting means during the final part of said one movement of said Work supporting frame portion, one of said actuating means comprising a cam and one of said aetuating means being movable with the Work supporting portion of said frame.

Drying apparatus, comprising a dry ing chan'iber having an air opening, a frame provided with a Work supporting portion having advancing and receding movements, a damper for controlling flow of air through saido enin dam er 0 oeratin means means for actuating said damper operating means during the initial part of one of said movements of said Work supporting frame portion, and additional means for actuating said damper operating means during the final part of said one movement of said Work sup porting frame portion, each of said actuating means comprising a cam.

33%. Drying apparatus, comprising a drying chamber having an air opening, a frame provided with a Work supporting portion having advancing and receding movements, a damper for controlling flow of air through said onening, damper operating means, means for actuating said damper operating means during the initial part of one of said movements of. said work supporting frame portion, and additional means for actuating said damper operating means during the final part of said one movement of said Work supporting frame portion, each of said actuating means comprising a cam movable with the work supporting portion of said frame.

35. Drying apparatus, con'lprising a drying (llillllbtl' having an air opening, a frame provided with a Work supporting portion having advancing and receding movements, a damper for controlling flow of air through said opening, damper operating means, and means for ardematically actuating said damper operating means during the initial parts of both of said movements of said Work supporting frame portion, to effect in both instances movement of the damper in the same direction.

36. Drying apparatus, comprising a drying chamber having an air opening, a frame pro-j vided with a Work supporting portion having advancing and receding movements, a damper for controlling flow of air through said open ing, damper operating means, and means for automatically actuating said damper operating means during the final parts of both of said movements of said work supporting frame portion, to effect in both instances movement of the damper in the same direction.

y 37. Drying apparatus, comprising a drying cnamber having an an openlng, a frame provided With a Work supporting portion l121\'- ing advancing and receding movements, a damper for controlling flow of air through said opening, damper operating means, and means for automatically actuating said damper operating means during the initial parts of both of said movements of said work supporting frame portion, to effect in both instances closing movement of the damper.

38. Drying apparatus, comprising a drying chamber having an air opening, a frame provided with a Work supporting portion having advancing and receding movements, a damper for controlling flow of air through said opening, damper operating means, and means for automatically actuating said damper operating means during the final parts of both of said movements of said Work supporting frame portion, to effect in both instances opening movement of the damper,

39. Drying apparatus, comprising a drying chamber having an air opening, a frame provided With a Work supporting portion ia-ving advancing and receding movements, a damper for controlling flow of air throi'lgh said opening, damper operating means, and means for actuating said damper operating means during the initial part of the advancing movement of said Work supporting frame portion and during the final part of the r ceding portion of said Work supporting frame portion.

40. Drying apparatus, comprising a drying chamber having an air opening, a frame provided with a Work supporting portion having advancing and receding movements, a damper for controlling flow of air through said opening, damper operating means, and means for actuating said damper operating means during the final part of the advancing movement of said Work supporting frame portion and during the initial part of the receding portion of said work supporting frame portion.

41. Stretching apparatus, comprising a dry room, a stretcher frame supported to lie in a generally vertical plane and movable into and out of said dry room, means upon'sai-d frame for temporarily supporting articles to be stretched thereon and forming a longitudinally extending trough at the bottom thereof, said 1 3 room being prov de with means for circulating air downwardly toward said trough to an outlet near one end thereof.

7 4:2. Stretching apparatus, comprising a dry, room provided in its upper portion with an air inlet and with an air outlet near its bottom, a stretching frame movable into and out of said dry room and supported in a generally vertical plane, and stretching means on said frame including a return bar along its bottom around which the article is folded.

43. Drying apparatus of the class described, comprising a drying chamber, a work support movable back and forth between a drying position within said chamber and a loading position outside of said chamber, means for supplying drying air to said chamher, and means whereby said air supply means is rendered effective when saidwork support is in either of said two positions and ineffective when it is in an intermediate position.

4A. Drying apparatus of the character described in claim 43, in which said last named means is actuated by initial movement of said i work support from either of said two positions toward the other.

In testimony whereof I hereby aifix my signature. I

JOSEPH B. SANDO. 

